In Town Automotive – one of the largest independently owned vehicle servicing and repairs garages in Northampton – has rounded off 2018 in style, after taking home its second prestigious technology award of the year.

The NTDA is taking action against a number of UK tyre retailers who are falsely claiming to be members of the Association, are displaying the NTDA logo on their recovery vehicles, websites and marketing collateral, or who are advertising that repair work carried out at their tyre depots is carried out to “the NTDA standard”.

MAFCO Autobar and TRICO have teamed up to deliver an early Christmas bonus to customers, with their “Cash In For Christmas” promotion. In the run up to Christmas, for every £100 spent with MAFCO Autobar on TRICO products, customers will receive a £10 voucher for their choice of either Amazon or Argos.

NGK and Seven-times British Pro Mod drag racing champion and race car builder Andy Robinson have teamed up to launch the MO70 project to transform a standard ride-on lawn mower in to a speed machine capable of reaching more than 70mph.

Morris Lubricants has reached its 150th year, and to celebrate the company has joined forces with their customer and friend Alex Sharphouse to build a John Fowler, Talisman B6 Road Locomotive. The Talisman will be on show at the Classic Car Show taking place at NEC Birmingham from tomorrow (Thursday 9 November) until Sunday (11 November)

Following the success of last years TRICO beer ‘Brew 17’ the windscreen wiper blade developer and supplier has launched another new beer, this time named ‘Brew 18’, to celebrate its 90th European anniversary.

With a generous amount being donated to the local Community Trust last year following TRICO’s sponsorship of Redditch United, Brew 18 is again exclusively on sale at the TRICO stadium, where once more, a percentage of the profits will go to the local charity.

The local Community Trust engages with the Redditch community to deliver outcomes combating antisocial behavior and crime, working with underprivileged children, reducing health inequalities and providing education to help support employability.

Product and Brand Manager Sam Robinson said: “Brew 17 was extremely well received last year, so we decided to launch another new and exclusive beer to celebrate our 90th European anniversary and once again donate a percentage of the profits to the Community Trust.”

Sam added: “Look out for the many promotions/giveaways we will be running until the end of the year to get your hands on a bottle or gift pack.”

“It is vital that the government and the EU come together and agree that frictionless, tariff-free terms of trade are in the interests of the whole sector, in order for the retail motor industry to progress and thrive in a stable environment,” said RMI Chairman Peter Johnson, speaking at this year’s RMI Annual Dinner in London last night (11 October 2018).

TRICO provided almost 100 winners with prizes recently following a promotion it recently ran with A1 Motor Stores.

TRICO has been working with A1 members for nearly 10 years and its latest incentive, with a minimum £50 spend on its wiper blades, offered them the chance to win an Apple Watch, Amazon Echo or iPad, along with a selection of multi tools and wiper blades through a specially designed scratchcard.

David Hunt, manager of Specialised Motor Components, managed to scoop the Apple Watch. He said: “I was really surprised and pleased to win. It’s good to know that through such a great incentive, they appreciate our efforts selling these quality products.”

Kilgetty Motor Factors’ (KMF) owner, Alan Holt, a long-standing TRICO customer said: “We were delighted to be one of the lucky ones that won an iPad and a couple of the multi tool sets, which will come in very useful in our store, so thank you TRICO!”

Shabbir Rajani from Hinckley Motor Spares won the Amazon Echo. He added: “It got the work place excited as we all took turns on a scratchcard. We are over the moon with our Amazon Echo, and we hope there are more promotions to come!”

Mark Doney from Mon and Border Motor Factors said: “We are very pleased to have won an Amazon voucher, which will come in very useful.”

Senior Product and Brand Manager at TRICO, Sam Robinson, concluded: “We have been working with both A1 Motor Stores and the members for a long time and we really appreciate their support and feedback - so this is our way of giving something back - I hope the winners enjoy their prizes.”

New changes to the MOT testing rules mean that 65,000 MOT Testers must complete new annual training assessments to remain compliant. In response, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), has launched updated Tester training which includes a free eLearning course enabling Testers to access the new assessment via their smart device and qualify them to test under the new EU directive.

A new tongue-in-cheek multi-media campaign with an underlying serious message for ZF brand Lemförder, is about to go live across Europe. The campaign, which deals with the Germanic obsession with precision and perfection – underlines a very serious safety message.

The Race Group has announced that it has strengthened its partnership with Castrol with a new five-year contract, extending its supply of lubricants for automotive and heavy duty vehicle customers in the South of England.

Morris Lubricants ambassador Rebecca Jackson is presenting Modern Wheels or Classic Steals, a new series on TV channel Dave where, together with Elo King (the owner and founder of The London Motor Museum), she will guide confused buyers to find their ideal car, whether it be a contemporary vehicle or a vintage ride.

The Parts Alliance is rolling out ‘The Big Drive’ as the latest in a series of national promotions. Billed as the ‘Luxury Edition’ and running until the end of November, the promotion gives garage customers the chance to win a Jaguar XE in either the Portfolio or R-Sport models.

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), has launched a new suite of electric vehicle training solutions that are set to be rolled out worldwide

Published: 11 September, 2018

Launching today (Tuesday 11 September) at Automechanika Frankfurt, the IMI is showcasing its new Electric Vehicle eLearning modules designed to transform the way people undertake training within the workplace.

LIQUI MOLY is continuing to expand its sport sponsorship: the company is now also the official sponsor of the 2019 World Handball Championship, which is will take place in Denmark and Germany in January. "This world championship is one of our global lead sponsorships," says Peter Baumann, Marketing Director at LIQUI MOLY.

Federal-Mogul Motorparts is sending two lucky technicians from Top-notch Motor Repairs in Tamworth to the USA to see the thrills of NASCAR at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida. The winners entered a prize draw sponsored by MOOG, Federal-Mogul Motorparts’ steering and suspension specialist. MOOG has sponsored NASCAR for over 50 years and supplies parts to all cars in both the European and US series. The grand prize was a trip for two to watch a NASCAR race in the US, including flights, accommodations and track transfers. Runner-up prizes included hospitality tickets for the Brands Hatch leg of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, while over 500 limited edition prizes were also awarded, including t-shirts and caps. “We have only just taken in the good news,” said winner Kevin Taylor. “To say we are both really chuffed is an understatement. We chose to go to the race at Daytona in Florida so that we can take full advantage of the trip and indulge our other great passion, big game fishing. We are both keen anglers and the combination of Florida, NASCAR and some time out on the sea is just about as perfect a holiday as we can imagine.”

Andy Savva – ‘The Garage Inspector’ – has become Schaeffler’s first UK Brand Ambassador. Andy has been supporting Schaeffler’s REPXPERT team by presenting at various trade fairs and training events over recent months, sharing his expertise on building up a workshop brand and profile, while also offering tips and best practice techniques on how to make a business profitable. Following a positive and successful start to their working relationship, Andy has now accepted an invitation to become an official ‘Brand Ambassador’, which he described as “overwhelming”. On being offered the role, he said: “To be associated with a leading global brand, like Schaeffler, a company that I trusted for its quality of components during my years owning and running workshops, the opportunity was one that I simply couldn’t turn down. “I am very proud; over the years, I have endorsed the use of original equipment parts, so I am a perfect match for Schaeffler. I have a passion for helping the independent sector, and this new role will only help my ambition of achieving that.” Because of his familiarity with the workshop business, Andy will be mainly focused on supporting the REPXPERT team, as well as conducting various media duties. REPXPERT users will also be able to redeem bonus points to enrol on one of his one-day business courses held at various UK locations throughout the year. In a message to technicians, he said: “We are here to help, guide and assist REPXPERT users. The challenges of running a workshop today, and in the future, are huge; therefore, this is a unique partnership, which will enable all users to not only access excellent technical training, but also benefit from my business acumen on the same platform” Schaeffler Managing Director, Nigel Morgan, said: “Andy is a familiar face to most vehicle technicians, who appreciate the fact that he has been there, done that and got the T-shirt to prove it.

Progress Recruitment Solutions (UK) Ltd is working with the Independent Garage Association (IGA) to make their MOT Tester training courses more accessible to automotive technicians throughout England and Wales.